Tottori Sand Dunes
Japan's only large coastal dune system (16 km long, 2 km wide, dunes up to 50 m); camel rides and sandboarding.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Tottori 鳥取県
Japan's least-populous prefecture, made famous by its 16-km coastal sand dunes (the country's only desert-scale dunes), Sakaiminato's Mizuki Shigeru manga and Gegege no Kitarō yokai, Nashi pears, and a quiet Sea-of-Japan tourism economy.
Capital
Tottori City
Population
540,000
Area
3,507 km²
Region
Chūgoku
History
Tottori's Ikeda clan ruled from 1617 through the Meiji Restoration; the Ikeda Garden in central Tottori City remains one of the prefecture's cultural anchors.
Sakaiminato is the birthplace of Mizuki Shigeru (1922–2015), creator of Gegege no Kitarō and the architect of postwar Japan's mainstream yokai (folk-spirit) revival; the city's 800-metre 'Mizuki Shigeru Road' lined with 177 bronze yokai statues is a major pilgrimage for manga readers.
Tottori is the least-populous prefecture and one of the most demographically endangered — but a 2010s pivot to inbound tourism (Conan Town for Detective Conan fans, ski resorts, Nashi orchards) has stabilized the economy.
Economy & business
Tottori's prefectural GDP is around ¥2.0 trillion (US$13 billion), the smallest in Japan. Agriculture (Japan's #1 producer of Nashi pears, plus melons and matsuba crabs in season), electronics manufacturing (a small but real cluster), fisheries (Sakaiminato is Japan's #1 mackerel port), and tourism.
Key industries
Agriculture
Japan's #1 Nashi pear producer (the 20th-century Niitaka cultivar was bred here); also melons, ginger, and winter matsuba crab.
Fisheries
Sakaiminato is Japan's #1 mackerel port and a leader in matsuba (snow) crab landings.
Electronics & precision
Sanyo Electric (legacy) and a cluster of smaller precision-component manufacturers in the Yonago industrial belt.
Tourism
Tottori Sand Dunes, Mizuki Shigeru Road and yokai tourism, Mt. Daisen skiing, Conan Town.
Craft
Inshū washi paper (Aoya), Tottori folk pottery (mingei tradition by Bernard Leach and Yanagi Sōetsu).
Notable companies
Sanyo Electric (legacy operations)San-in Godo BankImanishi (yokai goods)Suehiroya (Tottori sake)Yonago GasDaisen Snow Park
Trade partners
South KoreaChinaRussia (historical)TaiwanThailand
Tourism highlights
Mizuki Shigeru Road (Sakaiminato)
800-metre street with 177 bronze yokai statues; the local train and station are also yokai-themed.
Open in Maps ↗Mt. Daisen
1,729-m volcanic peak known as the 'Hōki Fuji'; spring beech-forest hiking and winter skiing.
Open in Maps ↗Conan Town (Hokuei)
Hometown of Gosho Aoyama, creator of Detective Conan/Case Closed; the train station and main street are Conan-themed.
Open in Maps ↗Misasa Onsen
Radon hot-spring town traditionally credited with extraordinary healing properties (now also a Geo Park site).
Open in Maps ↗Mt. Mitoku Sanbutsu-ji Nageire-dō
Tiny temple hall improbably nailed into a sheer cliff face in the 7th century — a rough scramble to reach.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Tottori is Japan's least-populous prefecture (~540,000); the second-least-populous (Shimane) is right next door — and the two together still don't reach 1.2 million.
Tottori had no Starbucks until 2015 — the prefecture was famous for being 'the last holdout' (the chain opened its first Starbucks in Tottori City to international news coverage).
Mizuki Shigeru's Sakaiminato home and 177-statue street are among the most-visited 'manga pilgrimage' sites in Japan; Sakaiminato Station even broadcasts a yokai-themed station jingle.
About Tottori — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Tottori?
The capital of Tottori is Tottori City.
What region of Japan is Tottori in?
Tottori is part of the Chūgoku region of Japan.
What are Tottori's main industries?
Tottori's key industries include Agriculture, Fisheries, Electronics & precision, Tourism.
What are the top tourist attractions in Tottori?
Top attractions in Tottori include Tottori Sand Dunes, Mizuki Shigeru Road (Sakaiminato), Mt. Daisen, Conan Town (Hokuei).
What major companies are based in Tottori?
Notable companies headquartered in Tottori include Sanyo Electric (legacy operations), San-in Godo Bank, Imanishi (yokai goods), Suehiroya (Tottori sake), Yonago Gas.
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